UCLA/OCLC Core Record Pilot Project: Preliminary Report

Abstract

This report details the record-creation phase of the UCLA/OCLC Core Record Pilot Project. A total of 384 records were created, consisting of 234 core and 150 full (control) records. Approximately half of the core records were coded K level in OCLC, and half I level. NACO authority work was done for all controlled (name, series, subject) access points in both the core and control records. Core record creation was determined to be significantly faster than control record creation: between 8.5% and 17% faster, depending upon whether learning curves are factored in. The core records created included, on average, 1.52 subject headings and 1.01 name headings each; the control records averaged 2.05 subject headings and 1.59 name headings each. The importance of these differences for access is unclear. Of the 384 records created, 30 core and 15 control records—a total of 45—were subsequently used by 91 institutions within two months of their creation. Of the 45 used, only 7 were modified: 6 core and 1 control. Of the ten modifications made to these records, only two involved the addition of controlled access points. With OCLC support, UCLA will continue to gather use and modification data for a year.